The journey begins...

Pantnagar Travel Blog

This incredible journey began in Pantnagar, where our flight from Delhi landed. We drove to the Almora region where we begun a three day 'Kumaon village walk' through the incredibly humble and beautiful villages of the Indian Himalayas. Each night we stayed in a specially made up village house, where the owner was our host for the night. The walking itself was not difficult, and things were made all the easier by the fact that we had a porter each and our guide to carry all our belongings, leaving our hands free to take as many pictures as we could!We were surprised at just how incredibly friendly the people were in the villages, and they did their up most to make us feel welcome and at home in their villages.

After the village walk, we arrived at the most spectacular lodge I have ever seen. It was called 360 Degrees Leti, and architecturally it is stunning, and the modern wooden exterior really stands out against the rugged mountain terrain of the Himalayas. Inside, we found utter luxury. The rooms were incredible, and each and every room commanded perfect mountain views. The food was amazing, and we were looked after so well by all the staff! We even had our own personal yoga/meditation teacher who helped us immerse ourselves in the cultural of this great country. The most incredible thing about this trip was all the additional 'extras' that the company we booked through (Quintessentially Escape) added into the itinerary. For example, we were surprised one day whilst out on a walk at 360 Leti to find the most romantic private champagne pic nic set up for us at our destination! They also arranged a private candle-lit dinner on our terrace and a private cooking demonstation - which was fantastic! At the end of our stay at 360 Leti, we were also presented with a gift on behalf of Quintessentially Escape, which was a really beautiful gesture.

Our journey ended with a three night stay at Ananda, a spa and wellness resort at the foot of the Himalayas. This place is totally serene and by the end of our stay we were completely obsessed with the incredible yoga and ayurvedic way of life!

For any of you out there who are fascinated by the wonders of the Himalayas, but who are reluctant to do the full on crazy hiking experience, go for this option and discover the culture and spirituality of this fascinating part of the world.